Narrow Plains at the Islington Academy

Narrow Plains at the Islington Academy | Live review

24^th January 2016

24 January 2016

Opening with the carefree, feel-good Restless Minds, Narrow Plains paved the way for a fun gig at the Islington Academy. In such a small venue, the crowd was packed together like sardines, making for an odd combination of those who were dancing and singing along at the front, and a larger component happy to just stand and watch.

Narrow Plains are no strangers to the stage, having grabbed every opportunity to gig around London during their rise to fame, establishing a firm place in the indie-acoustic scene. They injected an easy atmosphere into their concert, with frontman Charlie Ferriday energising the crowd to reiterate the chorus of Run to Your Door back to him and ending with a crescendo of Take Me Back that had drummer Stuart Connick and bass guitarist Roger Connick stealing the show.

Their set-list was populated with some material that up until this point could only be found on their debut album. such as the slower Let It Die and Ghost. The latter had a very nervous looking Edward Simpson, a touring member for the band, add a much-appreciated harmonica to his impressive list of instrumentals.

Wearing just jeans and t-shirts there was no pretence with Narrow Plains. They did not dress their performance up with fist-pumping frills or stage tricks: Charlie Ferriday sang with passion and in-between songs (alongside begging the sound tech to turn the bass down) did his best to electrify the crowd.

They returned for an encore of Save Tonight by Eagle-Eye Cherry. This choice really encapsulated the issue with their music; their sound is good and they know how to write a popular song, but nothing about it is unique. They have yet to create a Narrow Plains stamp of ownership that will make them instantly recognisable in just a few bars. But having spent the last year recording their debut album, this is just the beginning for them, and it will be exciting to see what they create next.

★★★★★

Melissa Hoban
Photos: Sophie Bluestone

For further information about Narrow Plains and future events visit here.